A Bicycle Built for Three

So, the interwebs tell me today is National Spouse Day. Let me tell you, I've got one of the best. Earlier this week I attended an out-of-town conference as a presenter. I was nervous for many reasons -- Covid, the general anxiety of pretending to know stuff in front of other people. However, as hard as it was to be away from Little Man for two nights I knew Husband had it covered. He is, quite simply, an awesome partner and dad. Strangely, though, the more common narrative is that of the bumbling father. TV dads are stereotyped as lovable but clueless. Moms parent, but dads babysit. I recently bought some books on adoption for Little Man and found a sweet one called "And That's Why She's My Mama"... but there wasn't an equivalent for Daddy. Husband deserves the praise. He makes Little Man laugh harder than anyone. He changes just as many diapers if not more. He takes the middle of the night feeds. He shows Little Man off to everyone and beams with pride over ...

I try not to get overly political here, but today made it hard.  Despite work to pass federal voting standards, the Senate has voted down precursor measures that would allow its passage. At a press conference Senator Mitch McConnell had the following exchange, as reported by The Washington Post: “What’s your message for voters of color who are concerned that without the John L. Lewis Voting Rights Act they’re not going to be able to vote in the midterm?” a reporter asked. McConnell replied, “Well, the concern is misplaced, because if you look at the statistics, African American voters are voting in just as high a percentage as Americans.” Needless to say, the backlash was swift. How dare someone make such an implication? Soon enough there will surely be a statement that this was just a stumble over words, a misspoken or misunderstood thought. While I could easily make this a partisan issue I am choosing not to simply because the impact of this statement is more than that. Even with...

Last year, on January 6, an attack was made on the Capitol building. I was wrapping up a day of virtual instruction when the news broke. I was grateful to be done with school for the day because I was having such a hard time processing what was unfolding. I would be seeing students in person the next day and was also concerned with how to proceed. Some educators taught through it while others didn't -- some because they didn't want to add to the trauma others were feeling, some because they were unable or unwilling to acknowledge the magnitude of what had occurred. I chose a middle ground for my classes. I created an anonymous forum for questions, comments, and concerns. Participation was completely voluntary, but most students chose to share something. In those posts I saw fear, confusion, and disbelief. One student admitted to being a supporter of the then-president and said they felt as if they were guilty by association (although not by the rest of the class, which was a po...

I am near the end of a too- short winter break.  I'm grateful to have had the chance to ease back into teaching, but -- like so many educators right now -- I'm utterly exhausted. As I transition back into teaching and learning in the new year I find myself looking at things completely differently. I've had a few professional instances recently that have really challenged my views.  Right before my return to the classroom I helped host a statewide conference for gifted teachers, and the presentation from keynote speaker (whom I've seen many times before) landed totally differently.  In the past I listened to him as a teacher, but this time I found myself listening as a mother. I was also asked to speak to a group of graduate students about trends in gifted education, and diversity/culturally responsive teaching was one of the topics.  On one hand, it's incredibly relevant.  On the other hand, I'm realizing that my privilege as a white teacher will become Little M...